Tom Holland is lighting up the silver screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). But, in the last 20 years, we have had three stars take on the title of Spider-Man. With the announcement of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their roles alongside Tom Holland in his upcoming third Spidey film, the question on everyone’s mind is, who is the best wall-crawler to hit the big screen?
The debate over the best Web-Head of all time is a heated one. For many, Tobey Maguire is the definitive Spider-Man of the generation. And while the arguments for why Tobey is still the Web-Slinger are very compelling, there are also strong arguments for Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield’s performances.
10 Best: Giving Up Mary Jane Proves How Selfless His Version Of The Character Is
At his core, Spider-Man personifies an unwavering sense of selflessness. Inspired by Uncle Ben’s famous words, “with great power comes great responsibility,” Peter Parker is a character who is forced to put others before himself. And neither Holland nor Garfield come close to the acts of selflessness that Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker displays on screen.
Peter wants nothing more than to be with Mary Jane. However, at the end of Spider-Man, he is forced to give up his chance at being with MJ to keep her safe. He also must protect his best friend, Harry from the truth about his father at the cost of his friend hating his alter-ego. Putting his loved ones first, he perfectly embodies the responsibility of being Spider-Man.
9 Isn't The Best: Spider-Man 3 Was Widely Regarded As A Disjointed Failure
While Spider-Man 2 is revered as the greatest Spider-Man movie of all time, Spider-Man 3 was a complete disaster. It is hard to make the argument Tobey Maguire is the best Spider-Man without pretending the third film doesn’t exist. But, with the numerous memes, we will never forget Bully Maguire.
In a lot of ways, Spider-Man 3 feels disjointed from the original two films. While it brought us the infamous black suit, it also brought us an uncomfortable emo version of Peter Parker. It also introduced us to iconic villains like Sandman, Venom, and Hobgoblin. But, without the same vision as the previous movies, the plot felt chaotic and rushed.
8 Best: He Is Genuinely Dorky, Unlike The Other Versions Of The Character
Out of the three actors to play Spider-Man, only Tobey Maguire truly pulls off the classic nerd archetype that defines Peter Parker. Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland carry themselves with a swagger that is uncharacteristic of Pete. Whereas Tobey Maguire embodies what it is to be an outsider. Even in his friend group, he doesn’t fit in with his rich best-friend, Harry, or love interest and rising actress, MJ.
Peter is soft-spoken and lacks confidence without his mask. The only time he isn’t invisible is when he is chasing after the bus or getting picked on by the school jock, Flash. And this is important to the character because it shows fans that Peter is just a timid kid bestowed with great power and responsibility. And that’s what it means to be Spider-Man.
7 Isn't The Best: Spider-Man Is Known For His Quips, Yet These Are Absent In The Tobey Films
Spider-Man is known for his quick wit, never missing an opportunity to make a joke, even while fighting his greatest foes. And while Tobey does crack the occasional joke throughout his films when it comes to quips Andrew Garfield reigns supreme.
Andrew’s performance nails Spidey’s sense of humor. The dialogue feels stripped straight from the pages of your favorite Spider-Man comic, as Garfield blurts out Peter’s inner dialogue. Andrew Garfield plays well to Spidey’s goofy personality and leaves fans smiling as he sarcastically mocks and taunts criminals while saving the day.
6 Best: He Is Struggling With A Hectic Life And Keeping Up With All Of His Responsibilities
In the city that never sleeps, crime never stops. Saving New York City takes a lot of time and Peter constantly is struggling to balance his hectic double life. While Tom Holland expresses his desire to have a normal life and Andrew Garfield struggles with his responsibilities after the death of Gwen Stacy, Tobey Maguire’s life is so chaotic he is seen as entirely unreliable.
In Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Peter is unable to find any balance in his personal life and his responsibility as a hero. He can’t hold a job. He is failing out of school. And he has no time for his friends and family, leaving everyone disappointed in him.
5 Isn't The Best: The Organic Webs Robs Him Of The Chance To Let His Genius Shine And Makes Him Less Comic Book Accurate
In many ways, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man is the most accurate portrayal of Peter Parker. However, Sam Raimi took a big liberty giving Spidey organic webs. While the webs help display Pete’s inner struggles in Spider-Man 2 when he loses his powers, they are not accurate to the character. It is well established that Peter Parker used his genius-level intellect to develop his own web fluid.
Webs are one of Spider-Man’s main tools for fighting crime. Numerous stories involve Pete running out of web fluid or forgetting his web-shooters and having to overcome the problem without them. And when you give the character organic webs, you take away his need to be prepared and the repercussions that come when he isn’t.
4 Best: He Took On The Responsibility Of Being Spider-Man All On His Own
Tobey Maguire takes on the responsibility of being Spider-Man all on his own. Without help, he designs his Spidey costume and learns how to use his powers to protect New York. Facing down big baddies like the Green Goblin and Doc Ock, he becomes a symbol for New Yorkers. His actions inspire the city, and he is viewed as a hero.
Whereas Tony Stark’s apprenticeship of Tom Holland makes him feel like a sidekick. Iron Man and Shield clean up Spidey’s messes and give him the suits and tech that allow him to be a real superhero. And Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man relies on the help of Gwen Stacy when fighting his enemies. Ultimately, putting her in danger.
3 Isn't The Best: He Is Obviously Too Old To Play The Role Of A Teenager
Creator Stan Lee designed the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to be a hero that kids could relate to. Peter Parker was just a high schooler when he was bitten by a radioactive spider and given amazing powers. And navigating his youth while growing into being a hero is a pivotal part of being Spider-Man. However, it’s hard to buy into this narrative when Tobey Maguire was in his late 20’s in the films.
Tom Holland was 20 years old when he first strapped on his Underoos and hit the big screen. He is the youngest of the three actors to portray Peter Parker and it shows when watching the movies. Holland has a boyish charm, and it allows viewers to effortlessly believe the character is in his adolescence.
2 Best: His Version Of The Character Is Fully Fleshed Out
The thing that truly sets Tobey Maguire apart and solidifies him as the greatest Spider-Man of all time is the masterful character development of Sam Raimi’s Peter Parker. Tobey Maguire starts out as a dweeb and throughout the films grows into a confident and capable superhero.
His interpersonal relationships are deeply developed. His villain dynamics are incredibly personal. And he faces real consequences for his actions. We watch Peter really struggle with the responsibility of his powers. And we see him confront his mistakes when he tells Aunt May about the night Uncle Ben died. All this builds into a Spider-Man that fans can understand, relate to, and aspire to be.
1 Isn't The Best: He Isn’t Great at Wearing a Mask, And That Puts Him And His Loved Ones At Risk
Now more than ever we recognize the importance of wearing a mask. And while none of the three actors to play Spider-Man do a great job of keeping their secret identity (Tom Holland worse of all to no fault of his own), nobody does as poor a job at keeping their face covered as Tobey Maguire.
Countless times throughout Tobey’s films you see Spider-Man without his mask on. And contrary to Peter pushing away his loved ones to keep them safe, he struggles to protect his own secret identity. From fighting thugs unmasked before his first kiss with Mary Jane, tearing off his mask while saving a train full of people, and even revealing his face to Doc Ock, Tobey Maguire cannot seem to keep his mask on.